NCAA Final Four 2000

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989 Studios looks to improve the little details in this year's college hoops iteration.

By IGN Staff

Lots of people pass up college basketball to take on the pros, but 989 Studios attempts to stop that trend with its latest addition to the Final Four family. Some say college basketball games don't play well. I often agree with that statement. I mean, if you want a complete b-ball game, filled with real player rosters, turn to pro titles like NBA Live. However, with all the advancements in technology, there's no reason to be so pessimistic. Enter 989 Studios, a company that's given us a myriad of sports titles, including the NCAA Final Four series.

Last year's version received decent reviews, especially in the graphics department. If you take a quick peek at our screen shots from the 2000 series, it's more of the same. Look more closely, and you'll notice the difference in player shapes and sizes from FF 99, thanks to a new 3D player model. This one's also officially licensed by the NCAA and the University of Notre Dame, which has its own copyright policies. That's right boys and girls. We get all 300 Division I teams, from 31 conferences, complete with home and away uniforms.

How authentic did the guys at 989 Studios really get? Well, not only does each team have distinctive uniforms, but college arenas are re-created with original blueprints in mind. I was fortunate enough to see shots of my alma mater's gymnasium, a school not known for its athletic department. Still, 989 was able to capture much of the finer details, including those oddly placed doors directly behind the basket. Simply amazing. If that's not enough, home teams will have their band on hand to play the school fight song. In-game strategy will also be tailored around respective college playbooks. Real plays designed by real college coaches- a perfect example of art imitating life. Coaches even roam the sidelines during each game, making gestures toward his players and yelling at the refs for missing a call.

Here's the scoop on gameplay. The first menu in NCAA Final Four will give you two options: Quick Start or Select Game. The former randomly picks two teams to go head to head and can be a good way to mix things up in a two or even eight-player game. Under the latter directory, there are four more modes of play: Exhibition, New Season, New Tournament and the new Arcade option. Similar to NBA Jam, players in arcade mode will have short, stout bodies and big, round heads.

During exhibition, regular season and tournament games, you have a chance to play with or without the improved Touch Shooting control. If you decide to leave it on, your timing and release will determine whether you're ball clanks off the rim or not. The camera work appears accurate and versatile, but in case you cannot see the ball drop in, ESPN's Quinn Buckner points it out while he's doing both color commentary and play-by-play. You can even refer to the auto replays, shown after every basket or slam dunk.

The options screen enables you to customize your own game. Throw in menus for statistics, rankings, awards, injuries, as well as the new "bubble watch" feature, which highlights teams on the brink of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, and 989 Studios could have another successful sports title for the PS console. Then again, we'll never know until it hits the shelves. Stay tuned for a full review.